Sorong, Jubi – A resident of Wakom Village, East Aifat District, Maybrat Regency, Southwest Papua, identified as Wilem, also known as Yae Wakom, has allegedly been tortured at a Marine post in the area.
Wakom, a civil servant, was allegedly subjected to the abuse after he was arrested and taken to the Marine post stationed in Aisa Village, East Aifat District, Maybrat Regency, on Saturday (26/9/2026).
Leonardo Ijie, director of the Kaki Abu Legal Aid Institute (LBH Kaki Abu) in Sorong, said his organisation had received information that Yae Wakom was allegedly locked inside the Marine post and subjected to violence while being held there.
His family and local residents were reportedly prohibited from seeing him or checking his condition, without any clear explanation. The reason for his arrest has not yet been established.
Ijie said that, if the information was confirmed, the case would involve not only alleged violence against a civilian but also the alleged unlawful deprivation of his liberty.
LBH Kaki Abu condemned the alleged torture and called on the relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
“For LBH Kaki Abu, the alleged confinement constitutes a suspected human rights violation against a civilian,” Ijie said on Monday (28/9/2026).
According to Ijie, confinement involves the deprivation of a person’s liberty, as everyone has the right to be free from arbitrary detention or confinement.
“That is why these allegations must be investigated seriously. A person’s status as a civilian must not mean they lose legal protection,” he said.
Ijie said that even when security personnel have grounds to question someone, any action must be carried out within the authority and legal procedures provided by law.
He said that if there were allegations that the victim had committed an offence or was involved in a security-related matter, the case should be handled through the legal process.
“But civilians must not then be locked up, subjected to violence or denied access to their families without a clear legal basis,” he said.
The state therefore has an obligation to ensure that every action taken by security personnel against civilians can be properly accounted for.
LBH Kaki Abu called for clear answers about why the victim was arrested or detained, who ordered the arrest, where he was being held, how long he had been detained, whether there was a legal basis for the detention, and whether his family had been given access to him.
“All these questions must be answered. Allegations of violence against civilians must not be left without a transparent clarification process,” Ijie said.
Ijie said the public should not be left with only one-sided information, and that the security personnel allegedly responsible for arresting and abusing the victim should provide an explanation.
“If these allegations are untrue, they should be disproved through an investigation. If violence did occur, there must be a legal process,” he said.
Ijie also raised concerns about the security situation in Maybrat, which he said required serious evaluation, particularly regarding the deployment and presence of military personnel in areas inhabited by civilians.
He said the presence of large numbers of military personnel among civilian communities could increase tensions if it was not accompanied by proper oversight and respect for residents’ rights.
Civilians, he said, should feel safe rather than pressured by the presence of security personnel.
Ijie said violence against civilians in Maybrat had continued to occur, but every incident needed to be established through legal mechanisms.
“All of these allegations must be proven and investigated. No violence should be allowed to go unchecked simply because it occurred in a security context,” Ijie said. (*)
